"What'd you expect, Potter?" Draco grumbled, slouching in his chair. He'd transfigured a fork into a new table and propped his elbows up on it. Dropping his head into his hands, he said, "She was in the hands of Mulciber, Rookwood, and the Carrows for 24 hours."

"Six times, though? That's a lot," Potter said, staring at the wall in front of him.

Draco sighed, tensing when he heard the stairs creak. Without looking up, he knew Hermione had entered the room. Potter stood up and made his way over to her, muttering softly and handing her the food. Draco kept his head down, running a hand through his hair.

"Thank you," Hermione murmured to Potter. Draco glanced up at see him press a kiss to the side of her head as he passed her the plate of potatoes.

"Ginny and Ron are worried," Potter told her, walking by her side as she approached the table. Draco looked away again. "I told them you were missing and we were going to get you back, but they won't sleep until they see you."

"But Draco," Hermione reminded him. At his name, Draco glanced up and saw her taking a seat in the chair closest to him. "They can't know he's here or they'll know he's the spy."

"My cover was blown already," Draco replied. He noted that she was still wearing his cloak even though he could see she was wearing denims underneath. "I can't go home, so I'll stay here if that's okay with you."

Hermione nodded quickly, looking away as her cheeks turned slightly red. Potter narrowed his eyes at him and Draco scowled in return over Hermione's shoulder.

"I'll bring them over now if you'd like," Harry offered. Hermione glanced at Draco, but he couldn't care less when Weasel and Weasel Two showed up.

"Now's fine," he told Potter. Potter nodded and with a small wave, he disapparated.

The house was silent as Hermione quickly ate her potatoes. Part of Draco wondered if he should have suggested Potter bring more, but it was too late now.

"Ron and Ginny won't be happy to see you," Hermione warned, setting her empty plate down on the table. "Maybe you should go upstairs while they're here."

"I'm perfectly fine with them cursing me," Draco replied, certain he deserved it at least a little. "Nothing against your friends, Granger, but I think it may be called for."

"Why's it Granger now?" Hermione asked, confusing Draco slightly. As if sensing his confusion, she said, "Earlier it was Hermione, but now it's back to Granger. I call you Draco."

"Do you?" Draco teased. Hermione scowled. "I don't think the Weasels would react kindly to me calling you Hermione."

"What? My name?" she asked. Draco nodded and she snorted. "It's my name. I get to choose who calls me it and I say you can."

Draco smiled and reached across the short distance to grab her hand. Hermione clutched his hand tightly and while she smiled warmly at him, he could feel her trembling ever so slightly. Worriedly, he glanced down to make sure her fingers weren't still twitching. When he saw they weren't, he was relieved.

"Are you sure you're okay?" he asked. Hermione bit her lip and he told her, "You don't have to tell me you're not. I know those men. I know what they can be like and I—"

"Stop," Hermione interrupted, squeezing his hand. Draco stopped talking and looked at her anxiously. "When Ron and Ginny get here, they're going to ask a lot of questions and I'll be asked if I'm okay at least a dozen times. I can't—Please don't do that too."

Draco nodded and leaned forward subconsciously, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"Alright," he agreed.

Hermione leaned against him, pressing her forehead to his chin, and Draco relished in the touch. All too soon, three cracks of apparation sounded and they broke apart hastily. Hermione jumped to her feet, dropping Draco's hand but not stepping away from him.

"Hermione!" the girl Weasel yelled. She raced forward and threw her arms around Hermione. Her eyes caught on Draco, but she didn't do anything other then narrow her eyes at him slightly. "We were so worried. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, Ginny," Hermione said, holding Weaselette's arms. Draco stayed seated as Potter and Weasel rushed into the room as well.

"Mione!" Weasel exclaimed. He pulled her into a tight hug and Draco found himself clenching his hands into fists. "Harry told us you'd gone missing and—"

Weasel cut himself off as soon as his eyes landed on Draco and the house went silent for a split second.

"What in Merlin's fucking balls are you doing here?" he snarled, pulling Hermione to his side and taking a large step back.

"Ron, it's okay," Hermione and Potter said at the same time. They shared a look and Hermione pulled away from Weasel as she said, "Draco's been spying for the Order. We've been running undercover missions together and I got caught."

"He ratted you out," Weasel said immediately. Draco rolled his eyes and Weasel glared at him.

"He helped get me out," Hermione explained. Weasel didn't look like he believed her, but Potter nodded in affirmation. "He's been helping the Order this whole time."

"He's a Malfoy," Weasel said, looking away from Draco to convince Hermione. "He'd never turn to the Order."

"Oh, can it, Ron," Weaselette grumbled, pushing herself between Ron and Hermione so she could hug her friend again. "If they say Malfoy helped, then he helped. What good does it do them to lie?"

"You just believe it 'cause Harry said it," Weasel grumbled. Weaselette scowled at him and Draco smirked to himself.

"I believe them both," Weaselette insisted. Weasel opened his mouth to argue, but a hard glare from both Hermione and Weaselette shut him up. "Clearly Hermione is fine," Weaselette said, wrapping an arm around her for proof. "If she wasn't, then we'd have reason to doubt them."

"I'll doubt whoever I want," Weasel grumbled, though he did stop glaring at Draco for the rest of the time they were at Grimmauld Place.

For what it was worth, the Weasels and Potter didn't stay long. Something about Kingsley calling a meeting late that night had them returning early and as soon as they were gone, Draco felt like he could look at Hermione again without being stared at.

He'd noticed before that he tended to find his eyes lingering on her, but this felt different. Perhaps it was just knowing that she'd been at the mercy of Mulciber for so long, but Draco didn't want her leaving the room where he couldn't see. Luckily, this wasn't that big of a problem as Hermione didn't move far from his side even while her friends had been there.

Silently, they went upstairs only to pause at the top. Draco knew Hermione would be in the room to the right and that he could just as easily sleep in the room directly across the hall, but for some reason that wasn't enough.

"Will you be okay for the night?" he asked, preparing to be sent away. "I know that's a bad question, but I just meant—"

"There are two beds," Hermione informed him, staring at the door. "I never sleep well alone anyway and I don't think—I don't think tonight will be better."

She grimaced at the thought and Draco nodded. Taking her hand, they walked into the room and Draco waved his hand to turn on the lights. Hermione's bag was laying on one of the beds, so Draco sat on the other and watched as Hermione moved her bag and sat on the other. They stared at each other in silence for several long seconds.

"Are you really staying here now?" she asked. Draco shrugged and nodded at the same time.

"I can't go home," he reminded her. The news that he was a spy would likely be printed in the Daily Prophet in the morning but the news would have spread quickly by now. "As long as you don't mind, I would like to stay here."

"I don't hate you, Draco," she said, confusing Draco silently. "You can stay here. I don't hate you."

"Well, that is good news," Draco teased. Hermione frowned and Draco wondered how that had been the wrong thing to say. "I don't think you do, Hermione."

"You act like it still sometimes," she said matter of factly. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Rest assured, I do not think you hate me anymore," Draco assured her. Hermione seemed content with that answer and nodded to herself. "I don't hate you either."

"Of course you don't," Hermione said with a small smirk. "You could never."

Draco snorted and while he changed the subject so he could tease her further, he couldn't help but agree with her.